Gum in the carpet is a sticky, age-old problem awaiting parents of small kids everywhere. To be fair, adults can track in gum from the outdoors just as easily as small kids, with the added problem that adult footfalls are heavier than little kids. The gum removal problem can be divided into two types; recent, soft gum, and older, hardened gum. Each takes a specific technique because of the consistency of the gum. Both types can be successfully removed with simple products which do not destroy carpet, although gum removal has been known to frazzle nerves.
Here are some simple tips on how to remove gum from your carpet:
1. First, determine how embedded the gum is in the carpet.
2. If it is not too imbedded, gently try to remove as much as you can as it is. If you must leave it, put a bowl over it to keep anyone from mashing it down further into the carpet.
3. If the gum has not yet hardened but can’t be removed easily, ice it until it freezes and can be scraped away with a scraper; some people suggest using a credit card to separate the gum from the fibers.
4. If the gum has hardened, use a type of compressed air, ideally containing Freon, to harden the gum. Again, use of a credit card is suggested to scrape the gum off the carpet fibers.
5. If you still encounter sticky residue, try WD-40 to lubricate the fibers before scraping an additional time. Make you sure test the WD-40 on the carpet in the corner of your room to make sure the WD-40 does not stain or discolor the carpet.
6. There are also products on the market for this specific purpose if you need additional aids.
The problem of gum in the carpet is an age old situation which is not likely to go away anytime soon. It is not a permanent problem, either. If you have kids and find the above gum removal tips of good use, you may also like to check out our tips to remove blood from carpet too. There are ways of making your carpet look as good as new; try these methods for a remedy to a sticky dilemma.